Scenic structure.



(No Model.)

' Patented Jul -9, 1901. "H. a. MABATTA.

SCENIC STRUCTURE. (Application filed Aug. 10, 1900.)

4w. 1am

His. flTToRNEYs I UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

HARDESTY G. MARATTA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SCENIOS'FRUCTURE.

SI'EOIFIGATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,012, dated July 9, 19 01.

Applioationfiled August 10, 1900. Serial No. 26,460. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, HARDESTY G. MARATTA,'

a citizen of the United States, residing in Chi cage, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Scenic Structures, of which the fol-' landscapes; and the invention consists in the structure and in the devices and combination of devices hereinafter more particularly described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a plan view; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a side View of the structure collapsed or folded.

In said drawings, A is the vertical back-' ground,and B the horizontal fl0or,of the scenic structure, and O is the proscenium, constituting a frame to inclose the view, there being an openingD through this to permit the pictureto show through. The background and the proscenium are connected together by folding bellows-formed sides E E, united in front to the proscenium and in the rear to the background. Attached preferably to v the proscenium at the upper part are the folding strips F F to form braces between said proscenium and the background when the structure is extended ready to be seen. Connected to the bellows sides are the wing-scenes G G G G G which may be in any number de-- sired, according to the scene to be represented. These Wings come down in whole or in part to the ground-piece B and extend up toward the top of the structure so far as the requirements of the view to be represented necessitate. These wings may be placed all at the same angle and be fiat in'contour, as the scenes upon a theater-stage usually are, if that is desired; but it is greatly preferred and considerably enhances the effect to have these wings curved in plan view, as shown at Fig. 2-, and, moreover, to have them placed at varyingangles, the rearmost ones being at a Sexless angle to the background than the fore most ones.

H is a vertical foreground-piece secured to the ground B and which may contain a 'representation of rocks or whatever the nature 'of the view requires and may be located at any angle or, any part o'f'the foreground and as many such employed as the requirements of the view to be represented indicate. The foreground-piece H is made so that it can be folded down fiat upon the ground, if desired. In lieu of such foreground-pieces, where the nature of the scene to be represented indicates, molded forms of papier-mach or flat mirrors to represent water or the actual Water itself may be employed in suitable vessels. In the structure illustrated in the drawings the material used is stiff cardboard or paper of varying thickness throughout, and

the structure is one intended to befolded up, as shown in Fig. 4, when not in use.

The scene (usually a landscape) is painted 7 such views as the Grand Canon of the C010- rado, where it is extremely difficult by ordinarymeans to give a correct impression of the vastness of the scene coupled with the descent of the ground before the eye, and which can be very successfully done by this means. The curvature of the wings produces several results which cannot be as perfectly done with flat wings. reason of the curvature all parts of the sur-' face are more nearly equidistant fromthe eye of the observer properly located. In the second place, by reason of the curvature that portion of the wing which is nearest the proscenium may be given the effect of perspective recession to great advantage by reason of its greater angle to the plane of the proscenium, while that portion of the wing farthest from the proscenium by reason of the curvature approaches nearer parallelism with the fiat background, and hence the curved wing lends itself more completely than the flat wing could to the naturalnes's of the view or picture to be represented.

In addition to the utility above set forth Thus, in the first place, by

tended positions is to cut out of the cardboardbottom B stops 2', which being bent up serve to hold the wings in position when the strnc ture is extended. A stop J (shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1 and which may be formed of the material of the bottom out and turned up at the corner) serves to hold the proscenium out in proper position against the natural elasticity of the folded sides when the structure is extended, and this same service is performed by the folding strips F at the top.

The background, wings, 850., may be given their proper colors by having the pictures printed thereon by the chromolithograph process, for example, which would make the whole structure exceedingly cheap. It will be noted that the top of the stage when extended is open, and that consequently the principal portion of the light by which the picture is viewed comes from above. This ..prevents the wings from casting shadows,

which might otherwise interfere with the illusion. This open top may, as occasion requires, be covered with transparent paper of white or other colors or of varied colors, as the desired effect may require, which covering-sheet can be attached at one edge either to the proscenium or the background. The

structure may be folded up by folding in the braces F, releasing the wings from their stops Land lifting the front of the proscenium away from the stops J. Now the entire structure will fold back against the background and the ground-piece B may be folded upon the hinge Z), producing a portfolio-like object, which is shown at Fig. 4. In this condition, if the view be not too large in dimensions, the whole can be sent through the mails or sold, as desired.

I claim 1. In a scenic structure having a background, a ground and a proscenium or frame, wings having curved surfaces and arranged at an angle to the proscenium.

2. In a scenic structure having a background, a ground and a proscenium or frame,

the wings having curved surfaces, said curved surfaces being placed at varying angles to the background, the angles for the wings increasing in the wings nearer the proscenium, substantially as specified.

3. A collapsible or foldable scenic structure having a background, a proscenium or frame and wings having curved surfaces and adapted to assume an angle to the proscenium or frame when the structure is unfolded.

4. A collapsible or foldable scenic struc- \Vitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, L. E. (loans. 

